Threet’s ‘retirement’ leaves ASU football thin at QB

All of a sudden, Arizona State finds its football program short on quarterbacks after the ‘retirement’ of its starting signal-caller, Steven Threet.

So maybe Dennis Erickson can get together with Mike Stoops down in Tucson and do some horse trading. The Wildcats have more QBs than they need right now.

The Cats go into the 2011 season with returning starter Nick Foles, one of the best in the Pac-10, and have Matt Scott in the wings. Scott, also a senior next year, started two games in place of an injured Foles and put up starter’s stats in beating Washington and UCLA.

Most recently, the Cats just picked up a top-flight transfer in Tom Savage, a seasoned quarterback who started as a freshman for Rutgers. And then there’s Cam Allerheilgen who has a redshirt freshman season under his belt, working with the scout team last year. And finally, Arizona’s four-star recruit from Oklahoma, Daxx Garman, rolls in for the 2011 season.

Threet decided yesterday it was time to hang up his cleats following a series of concussions that began back in high school, as the effects of the two suffered in the 2010 season continue to linger.

But now the QB cupboard is almost bare.

Samson Szakacsy, the No. 3 back-up quarterback who would have been a senior next season, could have stepped into the void… but he left when the season ended “to pursue other interests.”

That brings us to Brock Osweiler, the only quarterback on the roster now with any playing experience.

However, the sophomore might have been given the starting job anyhow after taking over for Threet following his second concussion in the UCLA game.

Threet, who had transferred in from University of Michigan where he was a starter, was effective for the Devils. He completed 62 percent of his passes last season and threw for 2,534 yards.

But his 16 interceptions also led the conference.

Osweiler showed he could handle the job, as he threw for 380 yards and four touchdowns to beat UCLA, 55-34, and then wrapped up the season with an overtime victory against rival Arizona.

In a season that saw him get partial playing time in a couple of games, almost a complete game against the Bruins, and a full game against the Cats, he completed 57 percent of his passes and threw for almost 800 yards and five TDs.

It would have likely led to a quarterback controversy leading into next season, as Osweiler would have pushed Threet for the starting job.

Now, that’s one thing Erickson doesn’t have to worry about.

What he has to worry about instead is not having a back-up with playing experience. The other quarterbacks on the roster include a redshirt freshman, Taylor Kelly, and a couple of true freshmen, Michael Bercovici and Michael Eubank.

Eubank and Bercovici were top-10 ranked prospects, so it appears that help is on the way for the future. But they’re gonna need some seasoning.

Eubank also had Arizona on his short list before making his decision to attend ASU. He probably figures he made the right decision now.

His position is kinda crowded down in Tucson, but there’s all kinds of opportunities now in Tempe.